Every business has a hierarchy, and with this hierarchy comes an uneven distribution of power. Certain employees are more likely to pursue this power than others, which is considered political behavior in the workplace. The term ‘organizational politics’, also known as workplace politics, refers to the agenda of each employee within a company and the activities they engage in to acquire, increase, and wield power and resources to gain a desired outcome. Show
Organizational politics is present in most organizations. All employees experience the impact of organizational politics throughout their careers, whether positive or negative. For some, it means engaging in office gossip or acting as part of a clique, while for others, it means climbing the career ladder and being as productive and efficient as possible at work. Understanding organizational politics helps reduce the negative or dysfunctional effects, support employees, and engage in positive political behaviors that benefit the entire organization.  What are the objectives of organizational politics?Objectives of organizational politics include:
What are the types of organizational politics?Self-promotionWhen an employee acts to further their career without regard for the impact on others around them. This includes things like taking credit for the ideas of others and putting coworkers down to build themselves up. Office politicsWhen one employee or group attempts to influence another employee or group through persuasion, manipulation, influence, or pressure. This can be positive if it means getting a group of skeptics on board with an organization's vision or project, but the downside is that it can lead to tension and arguments if someone believes that the win is coming at their expense. FactionalismA group becomes split based on common tasks and common interests, and these smaller groups form alliances that align with their goals. In larger organizations, this can help to increase innovation and agility. However, it will often have negative consequences as each faction commits to winning at any cost. GatekeepingAn employee or group of employees who already have a certain degree of power block other employees and ideas. They do this to maintain their power and avoid being challenged. However, this stifles innovation and prevents talent from rising through the organization. TerritorialismAn employee becomes extremely attached to a certain role or task and will not allow anyone else to undertake it. For example, a manager who refuses to hand over the reins of a project. The impact of organizational politicsStudies have shown that employees with political skills are better at gaining more power and managing stress, are more productive, and have a greater impact on organizational goals. Plus, as a company grows, organizational politics may be the reason it survives. However, unchecked organizational politics can destroy a company when left to spiral out of control. Here are some of the common negative impacts on employees:
How to manage organizational politicsWhile it's impossible to eradicate organizational politics in a large organization, there are several steps that HR practitioners, managers, and leaders can take to minimize its negative impact:
See Also:Download Free Resource:Learn More:What are the effects of politics on organization and employees?Decrease in overall productivity
Politics lowers the output of an individual and eventually affects the productivity of the organization. Common observation says that individuals who play politics at the workplace pay less attention to their work. They are more interested in leg pulling and back biting.
What are the basic factors that affect organizational politics?Reasons for Political Behavior. Ambiguous goals. When the goals of a department or organization are ambiguous, more room is available for politics. ... . Limited resources. ... . Changing technology and environment. ... . Nonprogrammed decisions. ... . Organizational change.. How does politics affect organizational change?Politics can have a damaging effect on the success of your transformation. The extent of the damage depends on your organizational culture and the breadth of your change effort. It can slow things down, be a drag on the process, and sabotage the outcome.
What are some examples of organizational politics?For example, it may be the case that a manager needs to exert a large amount of pressure on a team to get something done by using the power of their position over others. It is also occasionally necessary for employees to work behind the scenes to build coalitions of believers in a new vision to convince others.
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